CLEVELAND — Friday afternoon, dozens of people gathered at East 162nd Street and Midland Avenue for a vigil honoring 10-year-old Amor Wilson and 8-year-old Mila Chatman.
Several nonprofits organized it, including Black on Black Crime Inc., the Black Man Army and Black Women Army.
The remembrance happened in a field where the girls’ bodies were found on Monday night in suitcases that were partially buried. A man walking his dog in the area found a suitcase with human remains inside and called police.
A memorial has grown at the site, with people dropping off stuffed animals, balloons, and other tributes all day.
Girls’ mother charged
Friday morning, a Cleveland Municipal Court judge set a $2 million bond for the girls' mother, 28-year-old Aliyah Henderson.
RELATED: $2 million bond set for mother in connection with 2 girls found dead
Cleveland Police took her into custody Wednesday afternoon in connection with their deaths after a search warrant was executed at her home.
Thursday, she was charged with two counts of aggravated murder.
Calls for answers, justice at vigil
The vigil was somber and called upon community members to stand up and protect all children and fight for justice for Amor and Mila.
“We supposed to be like one body. When I hurt, everybody else is supposed to hurt. The community is hurt,” said Alvin Brooks of Black. “This should not be happening, and it shouldn’t happen again. And the only way we can defeat that heinous behavior… we got to tell it like it is.”
“What I ask all of us to do is to pray for these two children. Because they were not respected or cared for in life,” said Cleveland Councilmember Mike Polensek. “They need to be respected. There needs to be dignity in death,”
Before the girls, who are sisters, were officially identified by the medical examiner’s office, Maosha Vales, of the Black Women's Army, called them the “voiceless princesses.”
At the vigil, one speaker said, “Well now we have names for these angels. So, what we need to commit to from this point forward is being the voice for these angels.”
Neighbors react
People who live near the crime scene said they wish Henderson had reached out for help, adding that the girls deserved to be loved and protected.
“They were beautiful. They were gorgeous, and it brings tears to your eyes. It was so sad,” said Jaminka Johnson as she held her 1-year-old grandson. “I mean, you could have dropped your kids off at the fire department. Somewhere … the hospital. There are places that, if you're tired of your children, you can drop them off somewhere — juvenile court or something — like, ‘Hey, I can’t do this.’ You know what I'm saying?”
Johnson said Henderson deserves no mercy.
“I hope they get her the best way they can. I wouldn't even feed her down at the justice center,” Johnson said. “She doesn't even deserve to eat.”
Tawanda Strother said it’s important for people to look for signs of distress and work to get help.
When asked about the vigil and what it says about the community, Strother said, “That says a lot because it shows there is help out here. There are people who care out here. It’s just sad. It’s sad for the girls … kids, period. You’re not knowing what they’re going through in their homes.”
